Float light and smoke bomb



Nov. 25, i941. H. H. `MooRE l:rA|.

FLOAT LIGHT AND SMOKE BOMB Filed June '7, 1938 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 U Nf @f i;

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I FLOAT LIGHT AND SMOKE BOMB Filed June 7', 1958 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Patented Nov. 25, 1 941 ,Y I

Unirse STATES f l PATENT OFFICE FLOAT LIGHT AND SMOKE BOMB Harry n. ricci-e, washington, n. o., and George B. Dobyns, Bushnell, Fla.

Application June 7, 193s, serial No. 212,305 2 claims (ci. 1oz- 2) (Granted under the act of. Manif a, 1883,- as

amended April 3o, 192s; 37o o. G. 757) The present invention relates to improvements in oat lights and smoke 'bombs which are adapted to be dropped from an aircraft and which will oat upon the surfaceof water to give y a signal light, a smoke screen or a toxic vapor,

'other gases escape Aa sulcient distance above the water line to preclude the entrance of water.

With these and other objects in view, as well as other advantages that may be incident to the use of the improvements, the invention consists in the parts and combinations thereof hereinafter set forth and claimed, with the understanding that the several necessary elements constituting the same may be varied in ,proportion and arrangement without departing from the nature and scope of the invention, as deilned in the appended claims.

In order to make the invention more clearly understood, there are shown in the accompanying drawings, means for carrying the invention into practical use, without limiting thev improvements in their useful, application to the particular construction, which, for the purpose of explanation, have been -made the subject of illustration.

In the accompanying drawings:` i

Fig. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view through a oat light and smoke bomb embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view taken on line 2-2 of Fig. l.;

Fig. 3 is a similar view taken on line 3 3 of Fis. 1: l Fig. t is a-longitudinal sectionalI view of another embodiment of the invention; .i

Fig. 5 is a transverse sectional view showing' another vform of spacing means; i

Fig. s is asimilar view, tekenen iin c-s of 50 the starter for igniting the same and is itseu F155.: Y Fig. '7 is a longitudinal sectional view of still another form of the invention;

Fig.- 8 is a transverse sectional view taken on line of Fig. 7;

Fig. Figli; and

Fig. 10 is a detail elevationalview of a card stabilizing device or streamer for guiding the bomb while in ilight.

Referring to the drawings, and particularly to Figsgl to 3 thereof, a oat light and smoke bomb constructed in accordance with' the present in-v vention is shown as comprising a cylindrical body lil preferably constructed of light wood of a size to -obtain the desired buoyancy. A metallic nose cap il, containing 'a weight i2, is secured to one end of the body I0 by nails I3 and sealed at its juncture therewith by a suitable compound Hl. l The body it is formed with a conical tail portionl 5to which a plurality of stabilizing fins I6 are secured, which, together with the weight l2, insure a vertical position in flight when the bomb is launched from an aircraft. The body lll is formed with a cylindrical chamber l1. which communicates through a conical recess I8 witl one end of a pyrotechnic pellet or cartridge- 23 is seated. This pellet is maintained in axially spaced relation to the wall of the chamber I l by means of a plurality of circumferentially spaced rods 24 which frictionally engage the wall of the chamber-and the pellet 23 and are held against endwise movement by sealing rings 26 and 21 located adjacent to each end of the pellet. The rods 24 not only hold the pellet 23 in spaced tion of moisture therefrom, butsupport the side walls of the pellet against collapse and hold the pellet in a centrally located position.

member 30 of combustible material and contain-- ing a hot burning starting chemical 3| which is thus held in intimate contact'=with the end of the relatively slow burning pyrotechnic pellet. 32 in the main portion of thelcfontainer. A quick match 33' of usual construction is embedded in ignited by means of a slow burning time fuse 3l which extends axially through the pyrotechnic pellet 32 and starter 3|. T he ring 26 is of comn bustible material Awhich is consumed [during the 9 is a Similar iewtakenl on hline ,9 9 of -55' burning of the pyrotechnic pellet but whichr during the first or ignition stageLprevents the fused a bore i9 of smaller diameter extending coaxially The pyrotechnic pellet or cartridge23 cornstart-ing substance from running down the sides of the pellet and igniting the same at points below its top, thus 'preventing premature and excessive combustion. The opposite or Anose end of the pyrotechnic pellet is closed by' a metallic disc 35 around the edges of which the end of the container 28 is crimped.

The Bakelite cup 29, which is heat resistant but not highly' refractory, serves to hold the starter intact and closely in contact with the pyrotechnic pellet 32, while the Celluloid disc or quick starter 33, being highly inflammable, quickly burnsl away and insures a close contact between the exceedingly hot starter and the end of the pyrotechnic pellet.

and presents no obstruction to the free egress of gases. Also, the thin wall 25 of the'container and the sealing ring 26 will disintegrate to permit the pyrotechnic pellet to burn down uni- BY the timean ef. fective reaction is established in the pyrotechnic pellet proper the Bakelite cup-has charred away the surface of the water. IThus, during the few seconds required for the burning of the starter there will be a slight ow of heated gases through the small holes 54 in the end cap 5I which are in close proximity to the sealing compound 53. As a result, this compound becomes suiciently softened by the time that the pyrotechnic pellet proper is ignited to become dislodged by the gases generated thereby thus providing an unobstructed passage for the signal producing gases.

The utility of the iioat light is enhanced by v insuring a short interval between the time of launching and the display of the signal, and this interval consists of the time of flightof the bomb from the plane to the Water and the time between impact and detonation ofthe primer 39 and the ignition of the pyrotechnic pellet.

second interval cannot be less than the time of formly after becoming properly ignited. The

disc 35 is formed with a central screw threaded nipple 36 on which a nut 31 -is threaded forv clamping engagement with the inturned edges of the container and is bored to receive the end of the fuse 34. The nipple 36 is also provided with an anvil 38upon which a primer 39 is seated' and which communicates with the end of the fuse 34 through a passageway 40. L

The primer 39 is'detonated by means of a ring pin 4I which is mounted 'for sliding movement in a bore 42 in the weight I2. The weight is formed with an axially disposed portion 43` which is threaded onto the nipple 36 and which holds the primer 39 in place. .'I'he ring pin 4I is normally urged outwardly by a coil spring 44 but is prevented from becoming displaced from the bore 42 or from being actuated accidentally by a frangible disc 45 which closes the nose end of the bore and is held in place by a plug 46. This plug is, in turn, held in place by the inwardly swaged edges of an opening in the nose cap II through which it projects and is provided with a central opening 41 through which water, upon impact, exerts va pressure upon'the disc Vsuiicient to break ythe same and actuate the ring pin 4I. The particular detonating mechanism just described forms no part of the present invention.

It sometimes occurs that the detonation of the primer upon impact explodes the time fuse and shatters the pyrotechnic pellet. This Iis avoided in the present construction by providing an expansion chamber 48 between the weight I2 and the sealing disc 2l which'communicates with the passageway 4I) through ports 49 in the nipple 36. These passageways are sealed by a frangible substance 50, such as adhesive tape, which can be ruptured in the event of excess pressure soas to permit the gases to escape into the expansion chamber 49.

The outer end of the bore I9 is normally closed submergence.

lwhich communicates with the chamber 'terposed Washer or packing 60. lar construction the closure cap 5| is seated in a In order, therefore, to hasten the return of the bomb to the surface of the water, the bomb is provided with one or more ns or deiiectors 55, which'act as Water brakes to limit the depth the bomb submerges and also permit of its successful use in-shallower water. These deflectors may be struck outwardly from the material of the nose cap, as shown in Fig. l, or they may be made from a separate piece and se cured thereto, as shown in Figs. 4 and 7.

The production of a given volume of signal and its duration/are dependent upon the quantity of pyrotechnic pelletsemployed, which, in turn, re-

-quires a certain minimum positive buoyancy. At

. crease the probability of failure of the signal by prolonged bobbing up and down which will, at intervals, carry thel discharge endl of the bore I9beneath the surface of the Water. This disadvantage is overcome by -means of the construction shown in Fig. 4 in which the bore I9 II is formed in an extender tube 56 which is slidably mounted in a second tube 5'I fixed in the tail portion I5 of the bomb. One end of the tube 51 is formed with a head 58 which engages the side Wall of the body I0 and is prevented from endwise movement by a tail cap.59 secured to the end of the conical body portion I5 and by an in- In this particurecess 6I formed in .the outer end of the extender 56. The inner end of the tube 56 is formed with a plunger 62 and is provided with a packing washer 63 of felt or the like for frictional contact with the wall of the tube 51 to retard its sliding movement. In other particulars the conby a cap 5l which is secured within a 'recess 52 The cap 5I is the instant or impact, and the bunungof the time fuse 34. The rate of burning of the fuse ls so graduated as to cause the ignition of the starter 3l at about the time the oat light returns to struction shown in Fig. 4 is similar to that hereinabove described. When the bomb strikes the water and detonates. the primer'and the pyrotechnic pellet commence to burn the resultant gases rst, acting on the plunger 62, force the tube outwardly until'its movement is arrested by the engagement of the plungerv with the washer 60. This elevates the end of the bore I9 4a substantial distance above the water line of the float bomb where the exclusion of Water, even in rough weather, is reasonably assured. Moreover, this construction permits of a reduction in the overall length of thefloat bomb.

In Figs. '7 to 10 inclusive, there is shown still another form of l the invention in* which the primer is detonated by the extender tube 56 before it is forced outwardly by the pyrotechnic gases.

This

. form of a plate seated edgeways in the end of the extender tube 56 so as to provide semi-circular printedthereon. The card may-be attached to the tail of the oat bomb by a cord and bridle 69. 'I'he pyrotechnic pellet or cartridge 23 may be heid centrally located by ribs 1o cui; in the body lll of the float bomb, as shown in Fig. 5, any other suitable spacing elements.

It will be understood that the above description and accompanying drawings comprehend only the general and preferred embodiment of or by y the invention and that various changes in construction; proportion and arrangement of the parts may be made within the scope of the appended claims without sacrificing any of the advantages of. the invention. l

The invention described herein may be manufactured and/or used b y or for the Government openings 66 on each side thereof (Fig, 9) through of the United States of America for governmental purposes without the payment of any royalties thereon or therefor.

We claim: Y

1. A float light and smoke bomb adapted to be launched from an aircraft to oat upon the surface of a body of water comprising a water-tight float body having a chamber therein anda passageway for establishing communication between said chamber and the outer atmosphere, a pyrotechnic charge in said chamber, a primer for igniting said pyrotechnic charge for discharge to the atmosphere through said passageway t0 give a visible signal, and means slidable. in said passageway in one direction for detonating said primer upon impact with the Water and in an opposite direction to extend the discharge end of said means above the end of the bomb.

2. A oat light and smoke bomb adapted to be launched from an aircraft to float upon the surface of a body of water comprising a water-'- tight oat body having a chamber therein and a passageway for establishing a communication between said chamber and the outer atmosphere, apyrotechnic charge in said chamber, an anvil, a primer on said anvil, igniting said pyrotechnic charge for discharge to the atmosphere through said passageway to give a'visible signa-1, and a tubular hammer slidable in said passageway in one direction upon impact with ,the water to detonate said primer and in an opposite direction by theforce of` gases generated in said chambex to elevate the discharge'end of said tubular hammer above the end of the bomb.

HARRY H. MOORE. GEORGE B. DOBYNS. 

